


The Way You Fight

by LadyOxymoron



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Competitive Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Protective Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21962011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOxymoron/pseuds/LadyOxymoron
Summary: An easy mission leads to some competitive fun with a side dish of feelings.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 19
Kudos: 176
Collections: The Malec Secret Santa - Edition 2019





	The Way You Fight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alistoney](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alistoney/gifts).



> To my giftee: I tried to use as many as your preferences as possible and I hope you will like the result! Happy Holidays! <3

Magnus is leisurely leaning against the cold wall, right knee propped up, the sole of his boot pressed against the stone bricks. The collar of his jacket is upturned, more with the purpose to protect him from the biting cold of the December night than to serve a fashion choice.

Despite the nonchalance of his posture, Magnus is on high alert. He is ready to step in and help should the need arise, but he’s otherwise content to just observe as his Alexander slashes and stabs his way through the small hoard of demons he’s fighting. 

It’s just an easy mission to ease some new recruits from Idris into patrols and field work and the demons they are fighting are lesser demons, ones Alec is more than capable to deal with on his own.

So Magnus just stays back and enjoys the sight. He grins, a surge of pride and affection swelling in his chest as he watches one of the demons fall after an especially ruthless slash of Alec’s blade, spurring Alec into the next fight. 

When he fights, Alec is all strength and grace, balance and poise. Years of unrelenting training have taught him to use every part of his body as a weapon, honing his skills to the point he’s both secure in his movements and graceful like one of the dancers from the many ballets Magnus has had the pleasure to attend during his time in Europe.

Magnus can’t keep his eyes away from the fluid movements of Alec’s limbs, the ripple of hard muscles under black leather, the gleam of moonlight over the Adamas of his seraph blade. 

The demons grunt and howl as they fall, a dark tune to Alec’s dance and Magnus is so enthralled that almost misses the demons closing in from the left. 

A shouted _“Watch out_!” from one of the Shadowhunters fighting more of the demons a few feet away pulls Magnus out of his reverie. 

Magnus stands and calls upon his magic, the surge of relief as he feels it humming under his skin still present even after months from his ordeal. He debates blasting all of the demons away with a wave of his hand but in the end, he decides he can use the exercise of a good old-fashioned fight and uses his powers to summon a blade for himself. It may not be Adamas but it will serve its purpose just as well. 

“It was about time,” Alec says when Magnus joins the fight, settling at his back. 

“Hush, darling, you were handling yourself well.” Magnus sidesteps to avoid a claw directed toward his chest and with one swift movement of his blade, slices it off. “And besides, I wouldn’t want to show off.“

“Yeah?” Alec says and even if Magnus can’t see him, he can _feel_ the smile in his voice. “Since when?”

Magnus laughs and delivers the killing blow between the demon’s ribs. “Well, Alexander, I wouldn’t dream about outperforming you in front of your Shadowhunters,” he says, knowing Alec will take it for the joke it’s meant to be. “You have a title to uphold, after all.”

Alec snorts and Magnus feels him stepping closer behind his back. “As if that was gonna happen.”

“Is that a challenge, Alexander?” Magnus asks, enjoying the easy, familiar banter. 

“Oh, shut up, Magnus.” Alec grunts and Magnus feels the thud of another demon hitting the ground. 

“You are on, my dear.” Magnus laughs and kills a demon of his own, his body taut with adrenaline-fueled excitement. “Do keep count.”

After that, everything goes by in a blur of slashes and thuds and teasing remarks, until they’ve killed the last of the demons and they’re standing back to back, catching their breath. 

Magnus is the first to straighten up. He turns around and pretends to flick a speck of dust off the sleeve of his jacket. “Well, that was fun.” 

Alec snorts and wipes the ichor off his sword on the hide of one of the fallen demons before sheathing it in his thigh holster. When he turns around, he points toward the demons on his side of the field, a smug grin playing on his lips. “I win.”

“Considering you had the advantage of a head-start, I would say we are even, darling.”

Alec laughs that easy, spontaneous laugh Magnus loves so much. “Fine. Have it your way.” 

Magnus is about to retort when they’re joined by the other Shadowhunters. They approach and stand a little to the side, clearly waiting for Alec’s orders. 

Alec smiles apologetically at Magnus and heads toward them to give them their instructions. 

Before departing, he squeezes the young Shadowhunter’s shoulder. “This was your first time in the field, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, sir,” Magnus hears him reply. 

“Congratulations for a mission well done,” Alec says and the way he smiles as he says it makes Magnus wonder how many times he’s been on the other side, how many times he’s been the one craving some validation after a mission. “We need to work on our time of response but I think we can call this one a success.”

Alec walks back, and he has just joined Magnus when they hear it. 

“At least I didn’t just stand and watch like that warlock.”

It is a little more than a murmur but the boy is unlucky enough to have the wind carry it to their ears. 

Alec freezes besides him. Magnus was about to clean up the mess of ichor and dead demons with his magic but he stops in his tracks when Alec puts a hand on his arm. 

“Leave it,” Alec says, stone-faced, his voice dead serious. “That’s not your job.”

“Alexander-”

“I mean it, Magnus,” Alec interrupts, already turning on his heels. “I’ll be right back.”

Magnus considers finishing the job and cleaning the mess anyway but in the end, Alec’s wishes and a sane amount of sheer pettiness win. He stays back and watches Alec stride toward the recruits, every inch the Head of the Institute, a sharp contrast to the friendly leader he’s been up to a few minutes ago. 

Magnus listens, touched beyond belief, as Alec gives a lecture about respect and gratitude and he’s oddly grateful Alec knows him so well to not demand an apology out of the boy. 

Alec doesn’t let the boy get away with it either. 

Magnus almost winces in sympathy when hears Alec tasking him with cleaning the scene and assigns him to ichor duty until new orders. Almost.

“I will not tolerate this kind of behavior nor I will have anyone disrespect my family. Is that clear?” Alec says at last, before turning around and stalking off toward Magnus, his face still set in harsh lines. 

_Family_. The word slices through Magnus’ awareness and settles against his ribcage, warm and comforting, leaving behind a faint ache. 

They’re still navigating the early stages of their marriage and Magnus knows they’re _family_ now, that maybe they’ve been one for quite some time, in a way. Still, hearing Alec voice it is different. 

It tugs at something deep inside of Magnus. It tugs at the part of him that’s always yearned to find a person to call his own. It tugs just hard enough to make him feel unmoored, untethered like a floating balloon slipped from someone’s hand.

Magnus doesn’t have the time to dwell too much on the feeling that Alec is already back to him, and the affection and concern etched in the handsome lines of his face bring Magnus back down and anchor him. 

“Magnus, are you okay?”

Magnus has had centuries of experience in dealing with prejudice and they both know he is more than capable to deal with an insolent Shadowhunter without the need of Alec’s intervention. But he must admit that he’s quite touched by Alec’s concern, by his fierce protectiveness. 

“I am,” he murmurs, smiling at Alec to let him know that he, indeed, is okay. 

“Good,” Alec says, reaching out to take Magnus’ hand and squeezing it. _I’ve got you_ , the touch says. “Let’s go home.”

Magnus squeezes Alec’s hand back and opens a portal. _I know,_ it’s his silent reply _._ “Home sounds good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and happy holidays to everyone! :)


End file.
